Co-Working Spaces in Paris

So many people have the dream of moving to Paris for a month or two. Of “upping sticks” and relocating to the city of lights, the capital of romance and the centre of cheese. It’s becoming easier and easier as our increasingly nomadic working lifestyles don’t tie us to a 9 to 5 routine in the office.

However, it’s not as easy as all that. The traditional Parisian café, as Instagram-able as it may be, is not a welcoming environment if you are planning on staying for a couple of hours.

First of all, you should check out what is in your area using the very handy “Coworking Carte” tool. It visualises the dedicated co-working spaces all over France.

Here’s a screen shot of what is available in Paris… all 58 of them – and not one is a traditional or even craft-coffee café which has to turn tables!

If you’re only here for a short time and/or on a limited budget (aren’t we all!) you probably want a more flexible option rather then renting deskspace. So, here are my top picks for cheap co-working spaces in Paris.

There’s a reason Anticafé is at the top of this list – it is like a café but you pay according to the amount of time rather than the amount of coffee consumed. Tarif is: 4 euros per hour or 16 euros per day and this includes free wifi, unlimited coffee, tea, juice and cake. It’s very informal and friendly. Perfect if you’ve just arrived in Paris because, who knows, you might also get chatting to other like-minded people.

Don’t be put off by the fact that Numa also rent out desk space and offer residential programs for start-ups, the café on the ground floor of the rue du Caire location is open to the public, it’s free and you can stay as long as you like.

Alternatively, for 20 euros a day, you can book your own space on the first floor, which gives you access to several meeting spaces, a printer and even a kitchen if you want to bring in and heat up your own food.

Finally, if you’re on a reeeeally tight budget, you should check out Draft in the 18th. A half-day (4 hours) will only cost you 8 euros – and that includes free tea, coffee and wifi. A day only costs 15 euros… and if you buy a 10 day carnet, it is an absolute steal at only 120 euros.

It’s a bright, light space, with plenty of tables and even a little terrasse. Also on-site, there is a wood and textiles workshop, should you happen to need a laser or 3D printer…

Plus, did I mention that you’re right next door to Bob’s Bake Shop or Les Petites Gouttes – depending on if you’ve had the kind of day which merits a bagel or a cocktail!

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7 thoughts on “Co-Working Spaces in Paris”

omg! Such wonderful info!!!! My little apartment in the 15th does not have WiFi so I use my phone Hotspot….but it’s still very slow and not strong. So these locations are perfect for me! I am so going to use them next month when I return to Paris! tHank you so much….going to print this info now! Lee

It’s funny how sometimes you can spend hours mulling over a new post and even then it will sit in your Draft for weeks… and then at other times it happens so spontaneously that the blog post practically writes itself! Glad it’s helpful! 🙂

Thank you for this! So helpful. I’m curious, though, which cafes you’ve tried to write at, because I’ve never had a problem staying for hours (although I do order lunch, and drinks as I go.) I have a list of writer-friendly cafés in Paris with good Wifi, I’d be happy to share, but co-working spaces really up the game because you are with others doing the same. Like working in an office, it can help productivity and creativity. I do miss that energy now that I’m writing for a living. It can be a lonely job.

Thank you! I completely agree with you that writer-friendly cafés and co-working spaces are two very different things. As you say, co-working spaces are great for the atmosphere and the potential networking opportunities.

If you’re in a café but consuming as much as a “normal” client, no problem…. but I think that 15 to 20 euros for a day in a co-working space (probably an average spend in a café if you’re also ordering lunch) is an attractive alternative.

Where are your favourite cafés for writing?

Living up in the 18th, I most frequently go to Café Lomi, Bob’s Bake Shop, but I do most of my work from home. I pop down to a coffee shop, not to work as such, but “pour changer les idées.”

All great points! For cafe writing, Places like Cafe Lomi and Bob’s Bake Shop are not really friendly for writing and sitting, I find, because they are more Bobo in nature. (I find Cafe Lomi particularly New York-y in their attitude.) I stick to the traditional places, the (sometimes) dingy but charming old cafes where (dare I say) the staff really doesn’t want to like wait tables aggressively, and they don’t care about turning tables. Rouge Lime and Cafe l’Ingenue in the 11th are great. Actually, Cafe Charlot (which is totally Bobo) is pretty good about letting me sit and work but their Wifi is not so great. Le Plein Soleil on Parmentier is nice, too. L’Autre Cafe, another one. Any cafe with enough seats and a happily relaxed (i.e. lazy-ish) staff works great! By the way, I split my time between NYC and Paris, and NYC has nearly zero places to work (forget about cafes—and co-working places are upwards of $400 a month!) I’m have a heck of a time. Can’t wait to get back to Paris in November!

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